"The number of personnel in the base is much less than what we estimated. Looks like Hibari's decoy worked considerably well." Lal said, her goggles scanning the area in front of them.
"I hope he's all right…Hibari-san…" Tsuna worried.
"He's okay Tsu-kun" Jade reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Hibari-san wouldn't lose so easily."
"Oi woman, we don't have time to be all lovey dovey about that asshole" Gokudera growled.
She blushed furiously, opening her mouth to retort but they had already started moving. They found the door to the next room they needed to enter. Lal slipped in and scanned the area. "All right. It's fine. There doesn't seem to be anything…Wait!"
They peered into the room, worried. The woman growled and then suddenly fired. There was an explosion and they rushed in to find the woman kneeling on the ground, clutching a bleeding wound on her shoulder. From somewhere else in the room, another voice spoke, "You manage to see through the pattern of these randomly multiplying targets, and devise a counter within a hair's breadth. As expected from an Arcobaleno failure."
The person snapped and the room lit up, revealing a boy in a hat and cape floating above them. "That outfit belongs to the Magician's Doll. Are you Ginger Bread?" Lal questioned.
"I no longer go by the name. I'm the vice-captain of the Millefiore's 8th Squad now. I have a duty to report to my superiors about all of you being here." The boy smirked, "Still, killing all here wouldn't be a bad idea either. Just like what I did to that Colonello of yours."
"D-did he say Colonello?"
"What did you do to my master? How much I trash you will depend on your answer!" Ryohei roared angrily.
"Fufu you seem to have gotten the wrong idea. Even for the seven people reputed to be the most powerful, the cursed Arcobaleno babies, they drop like dead flies when exposed to the Non Trinisette radiation. It's such a tedious matter really. Why would I bother to kill him personally?" The boy's voice turned cold, "All I did was show my most cruel smile, while I suggested ways to kill him. And then, I watched, that's all."
Ryohei cursed, but Lal stood up ominously. "Back off Sasagawa. I will take this one." They could all feel the anger coursing off her body, but the woman remained calm. Ginger Bread snapped his fingers and suddenly a barrier of spider webs appeared between them and Lal Mirch.
Trapped on the other side of the barrier, they could only watch as Lal battled the boy. She managed to restrain him with her centipedes and growled, "Who was responsible for killing Colonello? Spit it out."
"What's that? It's bothering you, after all. I'm not telling." He smirked.
The centipedes tightened and started pulling the boy apart. "Those centipedes are like vices that are squeezing your arms and legs. If you don't want to lose those arms, tell me now." The woman stated coldly.
The boy screamed and then giggled, "Fooled ya!"
All of a sudden wounds started appearing all over the woman's body, causing blood to gush out everywhere. The boy's limbs came off easily and he continued floating in midair, laughing. Meanwhile, spiders had begun pouring out of Lal's body. The boy taunted them even as they figured out his attacks. He continued snapping his fingers and more and more spiders poured out of the woman's body. Laughing, Ginger Bread said, "This is so much fun. Let me thank you by telling you this, Lal Mirch. At the time of his death, Colonello was fighting together with the Arcobaleno, Viper. Colonello died because he shielded Viper."
Jade stiffened and her eyes narrowed. The boy continued speaking, "The guy seems to like taking other people's places, doesn't he. I heard, that the same thing happened the day the Arcobaleno were born, didn't it? It was a masterpiece, really. Viper was saved, but when he realized he had no chance of winning…he took his own life, and died too."
Jade clenched her fists, her entire body trembling from rage. And yet the boy still continued speaking, "It's such a laugh, isn't it. Viper was an idiot, but this was a real showcase of Colonello's nature. He's just a nosy dead weight. That corrupted pacifier you've been holding onto is also the price you paid for his help, wasn't it? His plans always backfired. The backfire man Colonello! Still, you've had such a tragic life, haven't you? Poor Lal Mirch. It's all the fault of that one Arcobaleno, that nosy fool, that backfire Colonello!"
Lal's voice was shaking with anger as she growled, "…Take that back…" She stared at her pacifier and suddenly it lit up brightly. "Either you retract that insult to Colonello or you die. Your choice, Ginger Bread."
"Well, even if you're an imperfect version, you're still an Arcobaleno. I thought your corrupted pacifier had already become useless. But, too bad this last spurt of yours came too late. When I snap my fingers, all my spiders are going to burst out and your body will be torn asunder. The end."
They all started shouting in horror, but Jade focused on Lal. "Please, you can do it Lal-san" she thought furiously.
Ginger Bread snapped and there was silence. Lal stood up slowly, "Indeed I am a failed version. When my body was affected by the incomplete curse, my constitution underwent a distorted transformation. It even changed the wave energy flowing inside my body into the mist and cloud attributes. But the pacifier cannot be changed. This blue pacifier was not supposed to be Colonello's. I was supposed to receive it. In exchange for my life, the flames released are…" Lal's body began to burn bright blue, "Flames of the rain attribute."
Ryohei explained how things were, but Tsuna was still confused, "Bu-but… Lal is not using a box weapon. Instead, her whole body is surrounded by flames…"
"This is only the second time I've seen that too…Flames emitting from a person's body…" Ryohei said, glancing at Jade.
Going at full power, Lal attacked Ginger Bread who seemed overwhelmed. She grabbed him in midair, her centipedes wrapping around the both of them. "This is your last chance. Take it back or die. Choose."
"No you stupid woman. Who's going to say that? These little restraints are nothing if I were to be serious with you. How naïve. Paa." But it seemed as if the boy couldn't move and suddenly the centipedes stabbed him.
"But…is this all right? If this carries on you won't find out who really killed Colonello….""
"Even if I let you live, you won't talk anyway. I'll find out myself." She growled.
The boy laughed, "You hateful woman…Ahh…That was fun…"
"Get down!" Lal suddenly shouted.
They all ducked at the large explosion. As the smoke cleared, they realized the spider webs were gone and rushed over to where Lal was. "You managed to shield yourself with the centipede just in time?" Gokudera asked.
"That's right" she replied, clutching her wounds.
"You're really incredible Lal Mirch. You defeated him extremely nicely. At least that's one part of my master's revenge taken." Ryohei said.
"…He's not defeated yet" the woman sighed, "Look."
They glanced over at the body. "Wha? A doll?"
"That's the reason why Ginger is called the Magician's Doll. Until now, nobody has ever gotten close enough to strike directly at him. He's a sinister assassin. He must also have been witness to the dispute that destroyed his family several years ago."
"Oi, Lal Mirch. It's about time you tell us everything, isn't it? About the mystery of the Arcobaleno." Gokudera said.
"…I refuse."
"Why you! You can't keep carrying the burden all by yourself! Why won't you tell us anything?"
"Say whatever you want, but I won't change my mind. If you really want to know, ask Yamamoto."
As they were about to confront the baseball boy, the alarms above them started ringing loudly. "That damn Ginger. He must have reported us, just as he said he would" Lal cursed.
As they ran, they tried to question Yamamoto about the Arcobaleno, but the boy's mouth was shut firmly.
"You guys go ahead without me." Lal said.
"Lal! Is it your…condition?" Tsuna asked, worried.
"I'll follow later. The fight with Ginger was a little too rough."
"Is your body…in pain?"
"I'm fine. Just go already. I'm not going to be the one to slow you down."
As one they all responded, "No way!"
She looked at them, surprised, "You've got to be kidding me. We've taken such little things into account already! This operation is a success only if we return with everyone!"
The woman was speechless.
"They've started to close the gates along the main route. One of the simulation patterns had predicted this move from the enemy, but…In a such a situation we're supposed to head for the next point while Lal Mirch stayed behind as a decoy."
"That won't work…" Yamamoto mused.
"Ahh…Well…leave that to me. According to the plan, the decoy needs to have mobility…So, I think I'm the best choice for the job…"
"That's true…"
"But Boss!"
"I'll be fine! I'll meet up with you guys later. Gokudera-kun, look after Lal please."
Gokudera agreed, sobbing about helping him if he needed anything at all. Tsuna rushed off a moment later. The rest of them got up and prepared to go. Jade turned to Lal, "Lal-san. I promise I'll find that Ginger Bread and make him tell me what really happened."
The woman looked questioningly at the girl, and saw the bright burning fiery in her eyes that she had hid up until now. "I'll get the truth out of him. Out of the real him. I promise!"
The woman nodded, "I'll entrust you with that then."
Ryohei had just defeated Baishana and they were nearing their goal when the entire base started shaking. The floors started moving and in a split second, Jade, Yamamoto, and Gokudera Ryohei were separated three different ways.
By the time the rooms stopped moving, Jade was alone in an unknown part of the base. She checked the map she had been given and was perplexed to find herself on a completely floor. Ignoring the sudden turn of events, she continued to proceed to where the room where the white machine would be. "I'm in Dock 3 now" she thought, "How long will it take to get to where I need to be…"
Suddenly she heard a noise and a door on the side of the room opened. Silhouetted in the doorway, was a familiar figure. Ginger Bread.
"What's this? You're not the Vongola Tenth. But you were there earlier when I was fighting Lal Mirch. Fufu how boring." The boy spoke through his transmitter, "Hey Shouichi, what should I do with this intruder?"
The boy's eyes lit up and laughed, "Roger." He then turned to the girl, "I get to play with you for a bit, but then I have to go take care of the Vongola Tenth.
Jade breathed in and out, calming herself. She stared directly at him, "You won't reach Tsu-kun."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Because I'm going to defeat you right here right now" Jade replied, and suddenly she was running at the boy, weapons ready. Her rain flame covered sai swept up and smashed into the boy's broom. He smirked and threw a couple of sun flames at her. She immediately dodged, jumping backwards quickly. The spiders matured and crawled out on their webs. The webs covered the doorway, separating her from the boy and she growled angrily. The boy laughed and said, "I have to go now. If you're still alive when I come back, I'll play with you some more."
She had no time to reply because the spiders were growing at an alarming rate and charging at her. One of them leaped at her, pinchers extended; she swiped at it with one of her sai, slicing it neatly in half. To her horror, from inside the cut up spider, more started hatching and maturing. She switched tactics immediately, flipping her sai so that the blunt end would make contact with the spiders and started batting them away. But it seemed as if the spiders were self destructing and giving birth to more and more. "At this rate, the entire place will be filled with these things!"
She focused and her rain flames started radiating outwards. Concentrating, she made a large bubble around her. Any spiders that came into contact with it immediately stopped moving. She continued to expand the range of the flames until all the spiders had stopped moving. Gasping at the amount of energy it took to stop all of them, she stopped to lean against the wall and catch her breath for a moment. It seemed however, that she wouldn't have long to rest, because in the doorway, stood her enemy, waiting for her. "Ah we finished off that Vongola so quickly fufu. Now it's your turn Jade."
The spider webs disappeared and he stepped into the room. "You're quite the interesting one, aren't you? You've got rain flames but you've also got those other horrid things that you're not supposed to use. I wonder if I can get you to use them though. I want to see what a monster looks like."
Jade frowned, "Someone who just got beaten doesn't have the right to brag like that."
"Hey you, what do you mean by that?"
"You're not the same thing that came by earlier. Lal-san said that Ginger Bread only used dolls to fight so I took notice. The first one that she fought was younger, with sparkly brown eyes and hair. He was wearing a black hat and coat. The second one that I saw that left these spiders everywhere was older, his eyes were colder, his hair was a lighter brown, and he was wearing white. Both of them were sort of mechanical in their movements. You might be similar to them, but you're the real Ginger Bread, aren't you?"
"Mmm wow, you're the first person who's ever been able to tell all my dolls apart so clearly. You're right, I am real. If I don't get out and exercise every once and awhile, I'll get lazy, you know? Well, it doesn't matter, since I'll beat you anyways."
The boy suddenly smirked and snapped. Jade gasped in shock when her foot suddenly started gushing blood and spiders poured out. "Every time you touched one of my spiders earlier, they left some eggs on you. Those eggs then buried their way into your skin and now with my signal, they're hatching. I noticed that you fight with those two weird looking weapons. Doesn't that mean that you do close range combat? Now that you can't move easily, I wonder what you'll do."
Jade only smiled, "I'm glad it's the real you. Because that means you can feel pain." She slowly stood up and said, "I'm going to make you tell me what really happened to Colonello and Mammon-tama."
She suddenly charged at the magician who leaped into the air, carried by his broom. He pointed it at her and fired some needles. She knocked them away with her sai and sent a wave of rain flames to cover them and make sure no more spiders were born. Taking out the box the older Yamamoto had left her, she inserted her ring. The box opened and a flash of blue darted out of it, circled around the girl protectively and then came to a stop next to her. "This is my box weapon, Heiwa, Pioggia Renne, the Rain Reindeer!"
The magnificent buck pawed the air and came crashing down, its hooves thunderous. Its impressive full grown antlers were covered in rain flames as were its hooves. Ginger laughed, "What can that great lumbering beast do against my small nimble spiders?"
Heiwa continued to pound the ground with his hooves and Jade ran at Ginger, "You'll see what Heiwa can do if you can keep up with my attacks first!"
She slashed at him with her sais, managing to catch him in the arm when he couldn't dodge out of the way fast enough. As she continued trying to cut him, she allowed bits of her rain flames to seep into his wounds and into his blood stream. And although he didn't realize it, his movements was gradually getting slower. He tried backing up and firing more needles at her but she simply knocked the needles away from her. With one swift movement, she threw one of the sais at him. It pierced through his shoulder and pinned him to the wall behind him. The boy screamed in pain but snapped his fingers all the same. Spiders burst out of various parts of her body, but the rain flames that were covering her body numbed the pain.
She should have stopped, should have started questioning him about Colonello, but something drove her to continue. She brought the other sai up and tore open his other arm. "Even doing this… I won't tell you… about your… idiotic… Viper…"
Hearing his name drove the anger she had kept pent up over the edge and she grabbed him by the throat. Ripping the other sai out of his arm ruthlessly, she then plunged it back into his arm repeatedly. His screams rose in volume but he still refused to speak. "What did you do to Mammon-tama?" she yelled.
"He…committed…suicide…"
"NO! HE WOULDN'T DO THAT! HE'S NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD DO THAT! IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU MILLEFIORE KILLED HIM!" she screamed, rage taking over completely.
She continued stabbing the boy, who might or might not have already been dead. Seeing his nonresponsive body, she pulled her weapon out of his body and then left the room silently. Remembering dimly through her clouded mind that she needed to find the white machine, she made her way quickly through the halls. Heiwa galloped behind her, his antlers steadily turning a darker blue. Suddenly she was forced to stop. In front of her was a squad of lower level soldiers.
Seeing them standing their, weapons at the ready, she rushed them, a scream of rage at her throat. Her partially corrupted rain flames were flung all over the place as she started stabbing soldiers to death with her sai. Blood was everywhere and her eyes were slowly turning yellow the more she killed mindlessly. Her box weapon was next to her, flinging enemies aside with its antlers, her corrupt flames covering his antlers as well.
These people killed Mammon-tama; they deserve to die too.
After decimating the group of soldiers, she continued on, looking for the white machine. According to the map she had been given, she should be nearing it. She entered a room and looked around. The door suddenly slammed shut and gas started pouring into the room. She coughed and tried to open the door but the gas quickly put her to sleep. Her eyes slowly drooped shut, her box weapon disappeared back into its box, and she fell unconscious.
"Resistance is futile. I've taken all your rings and box weapons" Irie Shouichi spoke ominously.
Jade felt her pocket frantically; it was still there! The special ring that she was not to use except in emergencies was still there!
The others trapped in the tube shouted for Tsuna to destroy the device, but Shouichi quickly put a stop to that. "Honestly, I'm amazed at your ignorance. If you destroy this device, the ones to be inconvenienced will be you, right?"
The white machine started opening and to their shock, revealed their future forms, deep in sleep. And then the story came out. How they had purposefully been brought to this time period in order to retrieve the Vongola Rings. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, hand over the Sky Ring. If not, we'll poison your guardians."
Jade clenched the ring in her pocket. "We're not done talking yet Irie. There's one part I can't agree on." Reborn said.
"We're not negotiating. This is an order." The Cervello responded, "If you don't obey within three seconds, you can't escape destruction."
"Wait!"
"3…"
"Damn woman!"
"Tenth! Don't mind us, please get those guys!"
"But…there's no way I can…"
"2…"
"Do it Sawada! After they get the Sky Ring, they'll kill us anyway!"
"But…"
"1…"
There was a gunshot and at the same time a black haze appeared over one part of the tube they were in and it exploded. Jade's hand was outstretched, her body shaking from exhaustion. The ring on her finger was lit with black flames. She could hear screaming but she wasn't sure where it was coming from. All the bloodlust she had felt before was building up inside her once again and she remembered how she had killed Ginger Bread and the soldiers she had come across. She clutched her head, her mouth opening in an open scream. "Someone get that ring off of her!" Reborn commanded.
Immediately, she was pinned down by Yamamoto and Gokudera, who pried it off. The second it left her fingers, the girl went limp. She opened her eyes a second later and mumbled, "I lost control again…"
Yamamoto was staring at her, worry evident in his eyes. She tried to smile reassuringly at him but the expression only seemed to make him worry more. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.
Meanwhile outside of the remains of the tube, Irie Shouichi had gone through a 180 degree personality change and had sat down. Ruffling his hair nervously, he said, "You did well to get this far. I was waiting for you. I'm your ally."
"Wha-? You're on our side?"
"Y-yeah. That's right… Normally, everything I do is under 24-hour surveillance by my subordinates and the cameras which transmit directly to Byakuran-san. But, thanks to you guys, everything's in a mess. Finally, I can talk without alerting the Millefiore people…" He exhaled nervously, "I've been waiting forever for this moment… Being able to meet you in this base, under these conditions, was the goal we were planning for from the start."
Jade listened dully to what the man was saying but her mind was racing, "How far did I activate the curse? Will this change the future me? If I can't use this power without losing control, then what can I do?"
A sudden shout caught her attention, "Ahh! I totally forgot about them!" It was Shouichi, "Have you received any contact from the Vongola Headquarters?"
"No…?"
Shouichi clutched his stomach, "I'm getting nervous again…this entire gambit to bring you guys through all that hardship in order to defeat Byakuran…that was the first stage. But, there's also a second stage that we have to clear too!"
"Eh? We have to fight some more?" Tsuna questioned.
"Eh? Ah, no…it's not that. I wanted to let you guys rest and heal your injuries for awhile. But, whether or not we get that luxury depends entirely on stage two."
"What is it? What's this stage two thing?"
"You've heard about it, right? The Vongola are launching a large-scale international operation against the Millefiore today."
"Ahh…now that you mention it…"
"If their operation fails, everything is going to get much more difficult…the most important key is the battle of the main force in Italy."
Jade looked up, "Do you mean the Varia?"
"Yes, they're assisting the main force that's fighting in Italy."
She closed her eyes and prayed silently, "Please be safe everyone."
Author's Note:
Here's Chapter 11! Jade got bloodthirsty haha. :)
Read and review please~